World Water Day: Success stories of indigenous water management schemes from Indian states

New Delhi: At a time when many parts of our peninsular India, especially large cities, are grappling with depleting water resources due to rapid population growth and poor water management strategies, state actors in some regions have set examples by introducing efficient and sustainable conservation practices in their respective jurisdictions.

The irreplaceable colourless natural resource holds immense value for households, culture, food, economy and nature's integrity. Several states have designed participatory irrigation management programmes, with the aim to encourage decentralized management of water resources and their sustainable usage. Below are few such successful indigenous models that can be replicated in other places to tackle water woes.

Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlambhan Abhiyan, Rajasthan
Rajasthan launched 'Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlambhan Abhiyan' across its 295 blocks of 33 districts in 2016. The initiative's aim is to make Rajasthan villages self-sufficient in water through people's participation. Some unique features of the programme include the use of technology for restoration of water bodies, Construction of low-cost water harvesting structures on watershed approach and mobilizing financial resources from multiple sources such as line departments, corporate houses, NGOs, religious trusts, social groups and non-resident villagers.

As per a Niti Ayog report, the programme program has benefited over 88 lakh people and 93 lakh heads of livestock. Following the implementation of the programme's first phase, water supply to villages through water tankers decreased by 56 per cent. Furthermore, the groundwater level, after the first phase rose by 4.66 feet in 21 non-desert districts of the state.

Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan, Maharashtra
Maharashtra's 'Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan' project was launched in 2015, with the aim to make 5,000 villages water scarcity free every year. The project involves the construction of cement and earthen stop dams, deepening and widening of streams, digging of ponds on farming fields and maintenance work on nullahs. Around 11,000 villages in Maharashtra have been declared drought-free, agriculture productivity has gone up by 30-40 per cent and groundwater level has recorded an increase of 1.5-2 metres. Thanks to Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyaan for all the aforementioned achievements.

Mission Kakatiya, Telangana
'Mission Kakatiya' programme is a water conservation project launched by the Telangana government in 2014, in a bid to restore over 46,000 tanks across the state. The project also aims to bring over 20 lakh acres of land under cultivation by promoting community-based irrigation management and enhancing the development of minor irrigation structures. Under the initiative, restoration of more than r 22,500 tanks was completed by March 2018. Various measures, under the programme, have increased the water retention capacity of the farming fields in the region.

Sujalam Sufalam Yojana, Gujarat
Gujarat's 'Sujalam Sufalam Yojana' is a participatory water management project like Rajasthan's Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlambhan Abhiyan. Sujalam Sufalam Yojana focusses on effective implementation of rainwater harvesting and desilting, deepening and widening of water bodies before the monsoon season.

Pani Bachao, Paise Kamao, Punjab
Under the Punjab government's innovative 'Pani Bachao, Paise Kamao' initiative, farmers are provided with a fixed electricity quota and get INR 4 per kilowatt-hour for every unit of electricity saved through direct benefit transfers (DBTs). The scheme provides a solution to water wastage by farmers due to government subsidies.
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